Improvement in printing-presses



EAARLE H. SMITH. Printing Press. u No', 124,701, I PatentedMarchwJn.'

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIcE.

EARLE 1I. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VIMPRQVEMENT lIN PRINTING-PRESSES.

4Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,701, dated March19, 1872.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known-that I, EARLE H. SMITH, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain Improvements in Printing- Presses,whereof the following is a specifica tion:

These improvements relate to those presses `which use a bed and platen;and thevobject is to produce a complete press, embodying strength andeconomyofconstruction, compactne'ss, and simplicity.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will proceed todescribe the same.

Referring to the annexed drawing, A represents the sides of a suitableframe, sustaining the various parts of the machine. Bis the typebed,supported and held in position by connection with flied cross-beams, theends ofwhich are secured to the side frames at C, and such bed isadjustable on said beams toward and away from the platen D. The platenis operated or moved to and away from the bed with a swinging motion, bymeans of arms I fixed to a shaft, F, which arms communicate with theplaten, through the agency ofconnecting-rods G--one at each side of theplaten-and a platen-beam, H, reaching across the platen from side toside. The said connectors G are arranged to pass between the outside ofthe bed and the inside of the frames A, whereby it becomes practicableto have al1 parts of the machine to work inside of the main frame andthus protect them from accidental injury. To said platen-beam, at itsmid length, a ball is made fast, which sets into a socket therefor atthe center of the platen.

This arrangement insures the application of the pressure at that point,and permits the platen-beam to accommodate any variation in the actionof the arms I. `Afflxed to the shaft F are arms J, (which may or may notbe parts of the arms I,) for operating the inking-rollers; The arms J inthe operation of the press do not pass down by the type-bed, and thebearings of saidrollers are therefore arranged in journal-carriers 3,attached to the lower extremities of swinging levers It, which arepivoted to the armsl J. L is the revolving plate for holding anddistributing the ink upon the rollers. Said plate has ratchet-teeth onthe under side, which, are engaged intermittently by a'pawl, 4, at theend of a lever, M, and

said lever has motion imparted to it by the arm N or -any suitable camon the shaft F. This shaft, representing the drivingshaft of themachine, is turned by` a foot-pedal, Q, through the medium of'arod orrods, P, running directly from the pedal to the arm N on said shaft.

The operation may be described as follows: In the downward motion of thetreadle Q the shaft F is-turned, the rollers are carried up over theform or type and onto the ink-plate L. At the same time the points ofconnection of each end of the connectors Gare brought into line with thecenter of the shaft F, at which juncture the platen is forced againstthe type producing the impression. In the upward motion of the treadle Qthe inking-rollers retrace their path over the ink-plate L, bearers K,and form, inking the type a second time, while the arm N operates thelever M and pawl 4, turning the ink-plate part of a revolution, and theplaten returns to the required position for repeating the operation. Ittherefore requires but one movement down and up to ink the type twice,distribute the ink, and give the impression.

In the above description I have specified the simplest and cheapestconstruction of my improved press, and consider the plan preferable forsmall sizes; but in larger presses the shaft is arranged to rotatecontinuously, and4 such additional shafts and gear and balance wheelsare introduced as are necessary for large and heavy work.

I do not, therefore, confine myself to the precise details specied, butshall vary and modify them as circumstances require.

I claim as my inventionl. Combining the arms I, to which the connectorsG are attached, in one with the arms J that work 'the inking-rollers,substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the arms I, the connectors G, theself-accommodating platen-beam H, and vibrating platen, for the purposesand substantially as described.

3. Arranging the connectors G to work between the type-bed and the mainframe, for the purposes and substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the Xed bed, vibrating or swinging platen, andrevolving ink plate, of the hiking-rollers, levers R, arms J shaft F,lever and pawl M 4, arm N, treadlerod and treadle, substantially as setforth.

EARLE H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

WM. H. J oHNsoN, E. B. BARNUM.

